Do-not-contact lists

it is possible to to create one or more lists of contacts that you don't want to call or email: these are known as Do-Not-Contact lists or DNC lists. A DNC list, once created, can be associated with any list you want. Any contacts that appear in the DNC will automatically be blocked. DNC lists can be used on both CATI and Web surveys.

To get the most optimal performance from DNC lists, we recommend that you use an external database (SQL or Access), which can be updated with a scheduled task.

To set up a do-not-contact list:

1. Set up your blacklist (list of contacts you want to block) in SQL with two fields minimum (you can have more than two fields if desired), as follows:
   • a unique ID field (necessary for scheduled tasks);
   • the phone or email field which contains the phone number or email addresses you want to block
   • For example, the list may look like this:
     
   • Please ensure that your Unique ID field is set as Identity (to allow the Insert into SQL query we will do later):
     
2. In CCA or Supervisor, right click in the sample lists window, and select new do-not-contact list.
3. In name, enter a name for your DNC list.
4. Ensure you select external data:
   
5. Click ... beside external data to open the external data details dialog.
6. In ODBC data source, select the ODBC source linked to the database of your SQL server where your blacklist is located.
7. In table/view,select the relevant table.
8. Then, move your special fields to the right-hand list (fields in list) (in our example, these are the ID and PHONE fields; you would select an EMAIL field if this was a DNC list for Web interviewing):
   
9. Click OK to apply your changes in the external data details dialog.

10. If you want to automatically update your DNC list, you need to define this in the scheduling tab of the sample list properties dialog. See schedule properties for details.

11. Click OK to apply your changes in the sample list properties dialog.
12. Once your properties are validated and the list imported into the CCA, the list appears with a red cross icon beside it:
    
13. Next, you need to associate this DNC list with an existing sample list. Right-click the sample list you want to match it with and select properties.
14. In the numbers tab, click + icon in the do-not-contact lists section.
15. Select your DNC list:
    
16. Click OK to apply your changes.
17. You can associate the DNC list with other sample lists if you wish, by repeating steps 14-16 in this procedure for each additional sample list.

Now that this link has been made between a sample list and your DNC list, contacts which appear in both lists will be set as unavailable on the sample list, and will not be called.  Whenever the DNC list is updated (manually or by scheduled task), an automatic check is carried out on all sample lists associated with the DNC list.

Updating your database with "do not contact" details

In addition, during fieldwork it is possible to fill your external SQL table with contacts who state that they don't want to be called anymore. 

To update the database with contacts who do not want to be contacted:

1. In the tasks window, right-click the appropriate survey task and select properties. The task properties dialog opens.
2. In the call result codes tab, add a specific "do not contact" callback result (in this example, we add code 17 "do not contact any more"):
   
3. Click OK to apply your changes.
4. In the sample lists window, right-click your sample list and select properties. The task properties dialog opens.
5. In the events tab, in the event list select interview finished.
6. Select the appropriate database that contains your BlackListTable:
   
7. Click edit and enter an appropriate SQL query, based on the following example, to update your table. Note that the query refers to the result code you set up in step 2 of this procedure (example SQL code is given below):
   
8. Click OK to apply your changes.

Example SQL code:

IF
[System.ResultCode]=17
BEGIN
INSERT INTO
[BLACKLIST2] (PHONE)
VALUES ('[List.Phone]')
;END